re: Louisiana chemical plant threatens to shut down if EPA emissions deadline isn’t relaxed

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I thought this was more they will be shutdown in the years to come so their response would be, let’s shutdown now then. See the heads spin and backtrack, well you can’t do it tomorrow.

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From what I’ve read, the EPA used a provision of the Clean Air Act that allows them to take drastic action in the event that there is “imminent and substantial endangerment” to public health. Normally the EPA rule making process is fairly long and drawn-out, with compliance deadlines set pretty far in the future. In this case, the EPA seems to be telling Denka that they have 90 days to comply with reduced emission standards (which as I said, is fairly absurd at face value).

A big part of the issue seems to be that the EPA’s (emergency?) rule targets ethylene oxide and chloroprene. There are a shitload of EO producers in the US and they all have 2 years to comply. There is only one chloroprene producer (Denka) and they got 90 days. So they’re saying they’ve been unfairly singled out.

There’s some background as well though. Denka and the EPA have been going back-and-forth about chloropene emissions for years now. Denka previously sued the EPA to stop them from formalizing a new rule on chloropene emissions. Apparently that rule would have given Denka a lot longer to comply. It seems that, in response, the EPA used this emergency provision of the clean air act to give Denka a much harsher deadline.

Denka apparently has to show that the rule will cause “irreparable harm” as part of their new lawsuit against the EPA, hence the statement that the rule will cause them to shut down.

I can see why Denka says they’re being unfairly targeted. But it appears that they’ve been fighting the EPA on this for quite some time as well.

Take all of the above with a grain of salt. Just what I can gather from reading a few articles.

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Half a mile from an elementary school. If we have to have these chemical plants, that insist on thrusting their business costs onto others, at least there should be a large safe zone.

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You mind answering just one question for me:

What was there first? The plant or the school?

Thanks in advance for your prompt attention and response.